Hanger for sliding doors, gates, and other structures



Sept. 2, 1930. H. H. SUPLE E HANGER FOR SLIDING DOORS, GATES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES il yl 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig- 1.

Fig.3.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 2, 1930.

H. H. SUPLEE ANGER FOR SLIDING DOORS, GATES, AND OTHER. STRUCTURES Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Figs.

INVENTOk ATTORNEYS f ierihitsth'e door tolbe, operziteclgwith ,efn i'r i 5.0 mum of efi'ortiegalnst egn iniipl rn resistan Patented Sept." 2, 1934) HEiiitr Aiti -Isoii sorter; OFJNEW-YQRKIX K. Y f

- HANGER ron'smbme neoks, emits, 'iwb omee mem JAppIieationJfiIeE m 15, ies, SeriaI 1rd; 303128.

' .My invention reletesto cloorsfgetese icl I similarmovable structures whiehzereopened V ancl,cl0sed byaleteralmoyementg that is,- v2L1eunoveol reopening and closingilrre plane parallel tothe plane of; the opening for which I they are intenfclukthis door move merit bemg either horizontahjzertical, o-r in'elined'.

-Heretofore such doors us-ual lyflmown in: the art as-slidingsdoorsg have either been sue-,5

:1 pended by rollers, sheaves,1or ringsfrom bars,-

rods-0r rails: from; "above or [have been supv.

H ported-andguidedfupon ra ils situated; upon-.4 the sill at. the. bottomg both methods :OiJSLlP' port and guidaii'ee; sometimes beiiig used, to; I

, gether.v I L I This customaryconstruetioh of'yrailsizencl sheaves" or their: equivalents, has been fourid to ofler' considerable resistance-to; the mov ment. of the door, especially when the door.

and its: fittings are apo ee-meme Weather,

as-in-the easeofexternel" cloorsyear or other vehicle doors gates, end the like. Thetree movement of such doors is: liable. to beeome' "obstructed by dirt,-chips,i'pebbles ice, andother matter, egatheringupon' the re'ils "or their equivalents serving ems-guiding arrd su'pportmg membersx Y 1 It :is the ob'eet of my iiiveritionits preferred. form-to do away entirely Withsu-p 1 porting rails andsheavesyanl torerry the door: or gate i p on fixeclspiyotsor points-Tot support; the doors beihg suspended" or ear-f riecl'npon sireh fixekl -points of su p tfb u able liri-kagegs 3 1 b mp 21th shall i m y fi wigm and p ra'lle'l 'This construction enables'rne to Gli'speiise entirely with: guide bars or vsupportihg'r'atils" also- Withshe'aves, rollers and sli-eleg, o1;

any" such rectilinear "constraints; a'iiclto PlQy ly nsor e etie i ksrr'iil bee o e were m vem nts Pr duce a re siilta-Il Path which is." the praetieal eQ 'ii e lentiof that proglhoedjbyreilsiendjsheavesor Y slides. =This construction,- supportingthe means oi swingi igor rioolring arms ehcl lir'ilis isshoWri i-r-i solid lines the entirely to the left; and in clotte 1' IirFigJG. my invention issho;

sne av idjs en ener ies bin iii'gfeitt v r door due toeenting or tilting in positiong; 1 This construction; maybe-used tor exter alv or internal doors forbuildinggfm (loors or W ndows" for railway" cars,- amtorariol n les end.-

railway-crossings for doors emlgetes in lifts and elevatorsyend for other sliding members,

files and similar furniture. 1

fflaYar-ious :formsjot myeinventioirere-shoiyn mrthe accompanying j 'drewinggr in hielr 05 'j v rly rfill t hwmym mm asappliedto-e, dojorjfor ere e oiifor e trei it ear, in Qwhiolrthe: suspension is from above} f Fig.;.,5' shows Jil y-invention as applied toie' road or railway crossi'iig gate shows 7:6v

my invention eppli'egd to; an :amtomobile (1001:; showsatheaform of pathnwh-i eh mey; be givenv to- .the door movement; Fig. s' 7 shows one of theroc'ker arms;-1 igs.;9r and LO show the hanger lbars;,a, nd Eig ll. shows one; 35

of theisupporting liimksa At,1-end- 1 a e shown openingscepeble of beingolosed' by,a moflng member suches e'doolflol'i'gate 2; hen 'said moving'memfber lS mQVBd-lIL fIOHlLQf SaiCl opening; 1111 359 f Fig.1; 1,. the igloorflisshownin the Wideo pen I B g h Himl s m m the elosed posithm, entirely to; the

to/the lower halfai the door of: en; auto mobile gthe-door' being; shownfiinthe elojseal v e .fi p l d -i fq h "fix d p fi lekp y ts i. 7; and ,8, by'the rocker rms 3' an" links '13; 114, 15, and; 16; P These 11 and simil-er'vehicles, for belkheadfd oors oh ships; j Y for fire doors in builelings, for ,ploorsfor fer.- V naces cook stofves ranges andthelikejend; P i

for sliding or horizentally moving gates at 'P V su chges drewers indesks and ehinetS- -letterfee and 4 at the points 17, 18, 19, and; 2,0, the

oints 17"and 18 being at the same distance rom the pivot 7, and the points 19 and 20 being at the same distance from the pivot 8.

1 The links 13,14, 15, and 16 are connected to pivots9, .10, 11, and 12, on the bar 5, the

pivots '9, 10, 11 and 12 being preferably in a lineparallel to the path of the moving member, andthe bar 5 beingattac'hedto, and.

forminga part ofthe m oving membensuch as the door 2or' gate 2. V I The maln supporting p vots 7rand 8,.are ati tached to a bar 6, which bar 6 is firmly secured to the transombarorother part ofthe structurecontaining the door openingl', or to the sill beneath the gate openingllf. It is" evident that'the pivots 7 and 8 may b i'attached directly to' the'transom bar of-the building or'to the sill beneath thegate, without the intervention. of the bar 6, and that the links'13, 14, 15 and 16 maybe attached di rectlyto the door 2 or'tothe gate 2 without afi'ecting the operation of the apparatus,

these bars 5pand 6 being shown only as convenient methods of attachment and not as essentialoperative elementsin the invention.

The axesof allthepivotal connections are I shown as horizontaland parallel. y

or Theoperationof the apparatusis as-followsz' v When the moving member, such asthe door 2,0r gate 2is'pushedby'handor by any con- .v'enient'impelling. forceinthe directionof its l own plane, the'rocker arms ands swing upon-the,.pivots7and .8. At the same time the links 13, 14., 15, 'and'16are inovedj with the movement of the door, the ends 17, 18, 19 and o 20 moving in circular arcs about the centres 7 i and 8, following the paths of theends of the "rocker arms 3 and 4 with which they are connected, whilethe ends 9, 10, 11 and 12 move withthe door-2. Whenthe door'2 has been 7 moved so far as to'close one-half of the opening 1, the rocker arms 3and4, and links 13,

14, 15 a'ond 16 will be in the position shown in'Fi'g. 2, while whenthe door 2-is moved all the way across the opening 1, the rocker' arms to the "distance between the pointsfijand 10,- p "and also to'thedistance between thelp'oints 11' V and '12; In this case the links 13 man. will 3 and 4anc11inksf13, 14, 15 and 16 will be in the-position shown'in Fig'. .3L The distance betweenthe pivots 7 and 8 is preferably equal alwaysreinain parallel to each other, and" the links 15' a'nd16 will likewise remain parallel to each other.

. By selectingthe lengths of therocker arms 3 and 4 and the lengths'of the links 13, 1 1,15

; *l and l6 so that their respective curved pathscompensate for eachother,tl1e resultantpath shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

the constraints of guide and supporting rails with sheaves or slides. This straight line movement of the door 2 is obtained without the length of the rocker arms 3 and 4, between their supporting pivots 7 and 8 and their connections with the links is about twice the length ofsaid links 13, 14, 15, and 16. I do not limit myself to this precise relation of dimensions, and it may be varied within certam llmltsdependlng upon the magnitude and character of travel required for-the door 2. The object of the curved bend given to the pivot part of the rocker'arms 3 and 1 is to give tull and unobstructed opening to the doorwa 1 or ate-0 enin 1 in the widey e P 3 open position, see Figs. 3 and 5. It will be seen that throughout the movement of the door or gate,in all forms of my invention illustrated herein, the link mechanism which supports and guidessuch door or gate will re- L main,practically in its entirety, in transverse registry with said door ,or other movable member. Nit-h the length-ratio of links and rocker arms shown, the door 2 will have a slightupward and downward movement at the extreme ends of its travel, which effects a'seating of the door 2 at each end of its movement; This form of door path is shown in Fig. 7 in which the point 12 0f the gate drawn above in Fig. 5, is shown moving over its length of travel, rising slightly, then following a straight line horizontally and then sinking to its original level.

' It will be seen that all the mechanism with the exception: of the supporting pivots 7 and 8, is carried onthe door itself and may be wholly removedtog'ether with the door, by takingouts'aid supporting pivots 7 and 8, either for inspection or repair or to permit the hanging-015a substitute door,

' Fig.5 the bar 6 is shown placed belOW the roadwaylevel, the rocker arms 3 ande, and thelinks 13, 14,15 and 16- and bar 5 carrying the gate 2 which is-shown in the dottedlines as moved from the left to the right. 7 l

'InJFig. 6 the door suspension is shown in the door of an automobile, the bar 6 being placed below the floor level of the vehicle and the entire mechanism being contained in the lower part. of the door, out oi"; the way of the window orother opening which may be de sired in theupper part of the door.

Partsof exactly-the same shape as the parts 3 to 20linclusive which enter into the constructionillustrated by Figs, '1, 2, 3, and 1, inaybe'used in the forms of my invention v 7 'It will be apparent that in conjunction with the one rocker arm and the pairof links connected therewith, I the other rocker "and."

pairvrof links constitute'f complementary. 1

means for constraining the door'or other? movable member to follow a predetermined,

path. Other complementary means having lents.

. and the facility with which it lends'itself to the same function be 1 used as-"equiva- An important advantage of my invention consists in the simplicity of itsconstruction V economical quantity production. In Fig; 8 c

is shown one-of the rocker arms: 3 and 4; 1

These arms are'precisely alike inform and dimensions; the sole dliferencein the com- ,plete d suspension consisting'intheir rela-1., tive pOS1t10I1Srb8lI1g reversed with; respect to U 7 formed-inthe stamping or forging press by i v each; other, right/and left,when assembled. The supporting links'13, 14:, 151-and 16are all I exactly alike, as shown infFig. 11,,a'nd-four I of such links and the two rocker arms constithe'same'rooker arm; a also pivoted midi-f ferent points of said fmoving member,- and a second pair of links eachpivoted to different 7 pointsofj the other rocker-arm; and also piv I oted todiflerentpoints of 'said moving mem-,

her, the pivotal connection of eachof the ,7 linksfof theesecond pair with said moving,"

member clears it; I 1

my hand.

tute the entire moving parts ofiny invention. The pivot bar 6,for the tworoekera arms 3 and't is shown in Fig; 10, and the bar 5 to be attached to the door,gate or other moving member is shown'in Fig 9. All; these parts, i,t will be seen may readily be quantity production m'ethods; thus rendering my invention particularly i-u'seful an'd p actical.

Iclaim; 1. A structure comprising a moving mem ber adapted by its movement .to clear or obstruct an; openingyin combination with 7 two rocker arms fulcrumed on astationary support and bent adjacentthereto, Withthe'irK- bends facing in opposite directions,a pair of links each pivoted to different points of the same rocker, arm, and also pivoted to difier v 1 I ent poin-ts of saidlmovin g. memberpand a second pair of links each pivoted to diiilerent points of the other rocker. arm; and also; H in pivoted tedifierent points of said moving o is Q member, the pivotal connection o'feach' of:

' the links ofthe second pair with said'moving member being at a. point different from the c corresponding pivotal connection of theother link of saidipair and "alsofdifierent from the j 1 points at which the link otthe. firstv pair r are pivoted to'the movingmembenthe bends;qpi of the rocker arms beings'oilocated as to clear 1 v V r the said openingwhen said moving member clears it, and'said link -as wllasthe major l portions ofsaid'roekerarms, being in trans :1

r-verse valignment with said moving member' in everyposition of saidmember.

'2. A structure 'eom'prisinga movin'g'imemr v ber adapted by tsmovement to cle'ar orob a st'ruct anfopenlng, lncombinat on with 'tworockerarmsfulcrumedon ia stationary supfport and 1 bent adjacentithereto, with theirf bends "facingflin opposite idireetions," a," pain of links each pive edg touiffrerit pnint of" HENRY HAnRisoN SUPLE 

